Review: Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel

Can you tell us a little about this hotel?
Following a long-awaited and closely scrutinized mega-renovation, one of Paris’s best-loved palace hotels has been utterly transformed. Her grand old 18th-century heart is still beating in stately fashion—but it’s the new 21st-century touches of sass and fizz and zing that have got pulses racing.

Originally commissioned by King Louis XV, the 18th-century former residence of the Duke de Crillon has for over a century housed one of Paris’s grandest hotels. In 2017, things got even grander: following a four-year transformation overseen by the sought-after Lebanese architect Aline Asmar d’Amman, the icon relaunched as a Rosewood hotel, with interiors that have retained the historic soul and gilded style that its well-heeled regulars so love, while bringing in all the necessary comforts today’s travelers demand.

The good stuff: Tell us about your room.
Past the landmarked facade, with its Corinthian colonnade and Coustou sculptures, elegant public spaces give way to 124 rooms and suites that—as a nod to the mansion’s past—have been designed in a residential style. Find a mix of antique and bespoke furnishings (like vintage-style bar carts), custom artwork, and hand-picked objets d’art, plus tech touches like 48-to-55-inch TVs and Bluetooth sound systems. The ten Specialty Suites kick things up several notches with spacious living and dining areas and a more opulent decor; the Suite Duc de Crillon, for example, features pieces of original 18th-century woodwork from what was once the Crillon family chapel (the rest of the paneling now lives at the Met in New York), while the Suite Bernstein, named for the famed composer, has an expansive terrace with views of the Place de la Concorde and the Eiffel Tower.

We’re craving some deep, restorative sleep. They got us?
The beds draw you in with crisp Rivolta Carmignani Italian linens, and French pillows and duvets by Drouault.

Please tell us the bathroom won’t let us down.
Bathrooms are a sanctuary unto themselves, with rainshowers, underfloor bathroom heating, in-mirror TVs, Buly 1803 products, and thoughtful touches like salon-grade hair dryers.

Maybe the most important topic of all: Wi-Fi. What’s the word?
Rooms come with complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi.

Staff: If you could award one a trophy, who gets it, and why?
All rooms—even the entry-level Deluxe category—treat guests to butler service, and with just 124 rooms in total, everyone feels well looked after.

Anything stand out about other services and features? Whether it’s childcare, gyms, spas, even parking—whatever stuck with you.
Culinary options include the intimate, one Michelin-starred L’Ecrin for Chef Boris Campanella’s sophisticated pairing experiences where wines dictate the menu, the warm and bustling Nonos & Comestibles, a brasserie and deli space overseen by triple Michelin-starred chef Paul Pairet, and the Jardin D’Hiver lounge, a local gathering spot for all-day dining and pastry. For a more elaborate tea-time or pastries available to purchase to-go, there’s Butterfly Pâtisserie, the newest addition to the hotel’s offering with desserts made by head pastry chef Mathieu Carlin exclusively for this space.

What was most memorable—or heartbreaking—about your stay?
Whether you're a Paris regular or a newbie, there's something magical about staying in the heart of the famous Place de la Concorde, in a historic mansion where Marie Antoinette used to take her piano lessons. Talk about a sense of place.

Bottom line: worth it, and why?
It's a splurge, but fans of French history and style or hotel junkies with a running list of global icons to check in to won't be disappointed.